Mining machines having a rotary cutting head



April 16, 1963 A. sNlPE ETAL 3,085,795

MINING MACHINES HAVING A ROTARY CUTTING HEAD Filed Nov. 19Go 4 Sheets-sheet 1 /8 "47787 L 29V? I: l* 5053 nUentor5 Mm 1l/uml,

By mm Attorney;

April 16, 1963 A. sNlPE ETAL 3,085,795

MINING MACHINES HAVING A ROTARY CUTTING HEAD Filed Nov. 8, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 By www, coll, 6M f lfm A tlorney5 April 16, 1963 A. sNlPE ETAL MINING MACHINES HAVING A ROTARY CUTTING HEAD Filed Nov. 8. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 April 16, 1963 A. sNlPE ETAL 3,085,795

MINING MACHINES HAVING A ROTARY CUTTING HEAD Filed Nov. 8. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 B wml cva, 7AM a Mmm AttorneyS United States Patent C) M 3,085,795 MINING MACHINES HAVING A RUTARY CUTTING HEAD Arthur Snipe, 4 Alston Road, and Terrence R. Bingham,

43 Brierley Road, both of Bessacarr, Doncaster, England, and Raymond Bingham, .lalna, Doncaster Road, Branton, near Doncaster, England Filed Nov. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 68,606 Claims priority, application Great Britain Nov. 12, 1959 6 Claims. (Cl. 262-27) Ihis invention relates .to mining machines such as are used in collieries, ore mines, and the like, and more particularly to mining machines of the type having a rotary cutting head provided with picks and adapted to be operated with the axis of rotation perpendicular to the working face of a seam, so that the picks carried by the head break out the material being mined to a depth substantially equal to the axial length of the head and to a height substantially equal to the overall diameter of the head and its picks, as the head is progressed by the machine in a direction parallel to the face from a previously cut gate-end in the face.

It is common practice to mount such a machine over a conveyor laid parallel and close to the face, with the machine adapted to traverse along the conveyor, so that as mining proceeds the material broken out tends to fall on to or close by the conveyor. However, since the cutting head extends laterally of the body of the machine and beyond one side of the conveyor, a considerable amount of material fails to fall on to the conveyor, and great diiiiculty has been experienced in providing the machine with effec-tive mechanical means for feeding or directing this material directly on to ythe conveyor. Therefore it is usually permitted to fall alongside the conveyor and then has to be ploughed on to the latter by a plough carried along with the machine. However, the quantity of fallen material is invariably too great for the plough to handle, so that a considerable amount spills over the top edge of the plough and remains alongside the conveyor after .the machine has moved clear.

The object of the present invention is to provide a mining machine of the type referred to with an improved cutting head that itself directs mined material towards the body of the machine so that, with a machine so provided and mounted over and traversing along a conveyor, relatively little of the mined material fails to lfind its way directly to the conveyor. A furthe-r object is to provide such a cutting head that will produce large lumps of mined material, thus reducing the proportion of small material. i

According to the present invention, a rotary cutting head for a mining machine of the type referred to comprisesat least one helical vane extending towards the body of, the machine from a at circular end-plate delining the axial length of the head, with means for rigidly mounting picks at intervals around the vane and endplate peripheries. With the head rotated by the machine in such a direction that the helical Vane screws itself towards the working face, mined material is directed by the or each fvane away from the face, i.e., towards the body of the machine and the conveyor along which the machine is traversed. Such relatively little of the mined material as fails to be directed by the helical vane or vanes to the conveyor and so falls alongside the latter, is well within the capacity of a plough moving along with the machine. With the or each vane having a pitch equal to the length of the head, the picks on the periphery of a vane can bring large lumps of material into the large space or spaces between the convolutions of the vane or vanes and the end-plate, and the substantial absence of 3,685,795 Patented Apr. 16, 1953 obstruction in suc-h space or spaces minimises breakage of the lumps as they are propelled from the head.

As a direct consequence oh the direction of the mined material by the head to the conveyor there is very little re-circulation of the material so that any tendency for the picks to throw the material beyond the plough is greatly reduced.

ln addition to defining the axial length of the cutting head, and, consequently, the depth of cut, the end-plate and its picks provide a lead-in for the leading pick on the adjoining end of a vane, so that that pick is not subjected to high impact loading, which might damage or distort the helical vane, each time the material to be mined is met. Two vanes are advantageous when the head operates in faulty material to be mined, because it breaks into reasonably sized pieces any large mass that might tend to fall as a whole at the onset of attack by the head.

Preferably, the pitch may be right-hand or left-hand, in accordance with the direction of rotation of the head with respect to the direction of traverse, it being preferred for the picks to be carried by the head downwardly through the material being minded, to encourage the falling material to move downwardly to the underside of the head as it is propelled towards the conveyor. However, the machine may make an operative return along the face, without of course reversing the direction of rotation of the head, the picks of which are then carried upwardly through the material being mined. The plough, of reversible type, is in this case removed to the other end of the machine.

To facilitate a non-cutting return run of the machine, a pick-carrying section of the end-plate may be removably secured to the -rest of the end-plate, together with an adjoining pick-carrying part of a vane. With the machine stopped when this removable section of the head is uppermost, i.e., nearest the roof, removal of the section avoids contact between the head and bar supports for the roof.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to 4the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic plan of a mining machine having a rotary cutting head according to the invention in use underground; I

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of FIG- URE `1;

-FIGURE 3 is a detailed plan of one form of cutting head in a position corresponding to that of the cutting head in FIGURE l, the head having a single-start helix, i.e., with only one helical vane;

FIGURE 4 is an elevation in the direction of the arrow IV of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an elevation in the direction of the arrow V of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an eleva-tion in the direction of .the arrow VI of FIGURE 3;

FIGURES 7 and 8 are enlarged Afragmentary sections on the lines VII--VII and VIII-VIII respectively of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 9 is an 'enlarged fragmentary section on the line lX-IX of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE l0 corresponds to part of FIGURE 4, but shows a modification;

FIGURE l1 is a perspective view of a larger but similar head to that shown in FIGURES 3 to 6;

FIGURE l2 is a perspective view of a rotary cutting head with two-start helix, i.e., with two helical vanes;

FIGURES 13 and 14 correspond to parts of FIGURES 4 and 6 respectively, but show a further modiiication;

FIGURE l5 is a section on the line XV-XV of FIG- URE 13, and

FIGURE 16 is a section on the line XVI- XVI of FIGURE l5.

In FIGURES l and 2, a mining machine 1 is supported by wheels 2 on the stationary trough walls of a scraper conveyor 3, along which the machine is adapted to traverse itself by means of a motor driven drum 4 and a cable 5 extending between fixed anchors (not shown) at each end of a mine working. Since the drive is independent of the wheels 2, the machine may be elevated by chocks 6 to suit the diameter of a rotary cutting head 7 mounted on the arbor 3 of the machine. The drive for the drum 4 is reversible so that the machine may be traversed forwardly, i.e., from left to right, or in reverse.

The rotary cutting head 7 has a helical vane 9 extending towards the body of the machine 1 from a at circular end-plate 10 deiining the axial length of the head, and picks (not shown, but presently to be described with reference to FIGURES 3 to l0) are mounted rigidly at intervals around the peripheries of the helical vane and end-plate. With the head 7 rotating in clockwise direction (as viewed in FIGURE 2), the machine 1 traversing forwardly over the conveyor 3 alongside a working face 11, and with the head starting from a gate-end (not shown), material 12 behind the face 11 is mined by the head and directed by the helical vane 9 towards the body of the machine. The picks are carried downwardly through the material 12 so that the latter is brought down under the head 7, which will result in a major proportion of the material being directed by the helical vane 9 on to the conveyor 3 directly behind the body of the machine 1. The minor proportion of mined material which fails to be directed by the head on to the conveyor is soon after directed on to the conveyor by the forwardly-facing half 13 of a reversible plough 14, which is towed along behind the head by the machine.

The machine 1 may be traversed in reverse, i.e., from right to left, with the head 7 starting from a gate-end (not shown) at the other end of the working and again driven clockwise. Although the picks will then be carried upwardly through the material to be mined and subsequently will tend to throw the material away from the head, a substantial proportion of the mined material will be directed by the helical vane 9 on to the conveyor 3, beneath the body of the machine, while the remainder, falling alongside the body of the machine 1, will be well within the capacity of the rearwardly-facing half 15 of the plough 14, which is then towed behind the other end of the machine.

The diameter of the head 7 is selected in accordance with the depth of the working, e.g., the depth of a coal seam, and the arbor 8 brought to mid-height by using chocks 6 of appropriate depth, except for the minimum permissible diameter, usually about 30 inches, when the chocks 6 are dispensed with.

lIn FIGURES 3 to 6, the helical vane 9 makes one complete turn about the axis of the head 7 (as is also the case in FGURES l and 2), but is divided along a radial line 16 into two parts 9A, 9B facilitating handling underground and fabrication from sheet metal and welding to a. journal 17, which is split into two equal lengths 17A, 17B each having a bore 1S to fit on to the arbor 8 of the machine, pairs of mating flanges 19, 20 being provided at the parting line of the vane and the adjacent ends of the journal lengths to enable the two parts to be bolted securely together. The leading end 21 of the helical vane 9 is welded to end-plate 10 consisting of an annulus to the inner edge of which is welded the larger base end of a hollow truncated cone 22, itself welded at its smaller end about the journal length 17A towards the end 23 adjacent the journal length 17B and a ring 24 bridges the annular gap between the truncated cone `and the other end 25 of the journal length 17A. The end 25 provides an annular shoulder to be abutted by the usual locking plate (not shown) for retaining the head on the arbor 3, and the hollow truncated cone 22 provides accommodation for the locking plate within the contines of the head 7. Four tapped holes 26 in the journal length 17A enable an extracting tool (not shown) to be attached for removal of the head from the arbor. The trailing end 27 of the vane 9 is recessed at 28 to iit over an existing arbor 8.

Metal blocks 29 with parallel sockets 3G (FIGURES 7 and 8) of rectangular cross-section, formed by broaching bored lengths of round bar, are welded into recesses 31 at regular intervals round the periphery of the helical vane 9, to receive the corresponding shank 32 of pointed picks 33, with set-screws 34 to secure the Shanks in the sockets. Each block 29 is inclined to the periphery of the vane 9 so as to align the axis of its pick 33 with the plane of rotation of its point, so that axial stresses induced in the head 7 by the angle of the helical vane 9 will be kept to a minimum and high cutting efliciency is ensured.

Instead of having a rectangular section, the socket may be circular in cross-section and tapered axially, as shown at 35 in FIGURE l0 to receive a correspondingly tapered shank 36 to eifect securing of the shank initially without employing a set-screw, loosening of a worn or broken pick 33 being effected by insertion of a drift or other suitable tool (not shown) into a slot 37 in the back of the recess 31 into which the block 29 is secured by welding. In the event of a drift or the like not being available, a `blow on the end of the shank 36 may sufice to loosen the pick 33.

A single pointed pick 33X mounted in a block 29X welded in a recess 31X in the end-plate 1t), close to the leading end 21 of the helical vane 9, serves to initiate at every revolution of the head 7 the point-strike action which is progressed axially along the head by the picks 33 on the helical vane as they meet in turn the material to be mined.

The remainder of the periphery of the end-plate 10 is formed lwith recesses 33 at regular intervals into which are welded blocks 39. These blocks are also formed from lengths of round bar, but are bored and breached at right-angles to their axes to provide sockets 40 (FIG- URES 6 and 9) of rectangular cross-section to receive the corresponding Shanks 4l of shearing picks 42 having V-shaped leading edges e3 and tips 44, again with setscrews 45 to secure the Shanks in the sockets. The sockets 4i) are inclined to Ythe plane of the end-plate 10-except for that of the block shown in section in FIGURE 6, which socket lies in the plane of the end-plate-to a greater or lesser degree, so that their respective picks 42 together produce a `wide lead-in cut extending inwardly, with respect to the head 7, to beyond the iirst pick 33 -wholly on the helical vane 9, so that that pick and the pick 33X are not subjected to high impact loading, which rnight damage or distort the helical vane, each time the material to be mined is met.

A block 29Y, similar to the blocks 29 is welded to the trailing end 27 of the vane 9, to receive a further shearing pick 42X the purpose of which is to produce a clean finish to the point-strike action progressed along the head 7 from the end-plate 10 by the picks 33, and is afforded the maximum effect by being inclined outwardly away from the end-plate.

The trailing end 27 of the helical vane 9 is also provided with a stiiening ange 46 extending radially from the journal length 17B, a triangular ilange 47 extending from the vane part 9B to the bolting ange 19 on that vane part. The end-plate 10 is provided with substantially rectangular gussets 43 extending radially from the hollow truncated cone 22 to some of the blocks 39.

The -vane part 9B is also provided with a blade 49 extending radially from the journal part 17B and axially from the vane part, and a blade 50 extending radially outwards beyond the recess 28 and stiffened by a gusset 51, to throw material carried by the head 7 away from the axis of the head, which action is also assisted by the bolt flanges 19 and the stiifening ange 46.

Apart from directing and conveying a major or substantial proportion of the mined material to the conveyor, the head 7 will produce the mined material in larger lumps than normal, since the space afforded within the confines of the head is greater lthan has hitherto been possible in rotary cutting heads of equivalent duty. Furthermore, the space afforded is substantially free from obstruction so that large lumps of mined material are not appreciably broken down while -being directed by the vane 9 to the machine end of the head.

The construction of FIGURES 3 to 10 is generally suitable for heads ranging in diameter from the minimum of about 30 to about 50". For heads ranging in diameter from about 50 to about 70 the degree of stiffness is maintained by using thicker material for the helical vane 9 and the end-plate l0, as shown in FIGURE 11, and by welding further stitening plates 52 between the gussets 48. A greater number of picks are preferably employed yon both the helical vane and the end-plate to give substantially the same spacing between successive picks, but the number of picks on any head may be varied to suit the quality of the material to be mined. The types of pick employed on the helical vane and/or the end-plate also may be varied to suit the material to be mined. Thus in FIGURE 12, shearing picks alone are intended to be used, blocks 53 similar to the blocks 39 being provided throughout the head. Also two helical vanes 9X, @Y are provided in two-start relation leading away from the endplate dll, the two vanes having the same diameter as the end-plate, with a greater number of blocks 53 on the vane 9X than on the vane 9Y. Again, the vane 9X is divided into two parts 9C, 9D and the vane 9Y is divided into two parts 9E, 9F, with the parts 9D, 9F united by welding to the journal length 17B.

To enable the machine 1 (FIGURES 1 and 2) to be traversed in reverse, with the head inoperative, for mining to proceed again in the forward direction, after placing roof bars 54 above Ithe conveyor 3 to support the roof 55 exposed behind the machine l, the head '7 may be provided with a small `section 56 adapted to be removed from the head after being brought to the uppermost position, so as not to be obstructed by the roof bars. FIGURES 13 to 16 show such a section 56 formed as part of the head of FIGURES 3 to 6, the section comprising a portion 57 Aof the vane part 9A and a portion 58 of the endplate l0, close to the leading end 2l of the vane, united by a tapered base plate '59, which is provided -with slots 60 for receipt of the Webs 61 of T-section ribs 62 on a plate 63 bridging the gap between the vane and the end-plate over the length of the section 56, together with a spring-loaded plunger 64 for engagement Iwith a hole 65 in the bridge 63, to lock the section in position 'when it has been correctly aligned by engagement `of the portion 57 -with the ends 66 of the ribs 62. The portions 57, 58 are braced by webs 67. Sliding of the section 56 towards the body of the machine 1, after lifting of the plunger 64 from the hole 65 against the spring-loading, enables the section 56 to be `detached completely from the remainder of the head 7.

What we claim is:

1. A cutting head for 'a long-wall coal-cutting machine, the head comprising a journal to be applied to and driven by the usual shaft of such machine projecting perpendieularly to the wall to be worked, a circular endplate secured to the journal and terminating the operative length .of the head, a helical vane also secured to the journal and starting at the end-plate, the vane being of the same diameter as the end-plate and having a pitch length substantially equal to the length of the head, `and pick-mountings carried at closely spaced intervals round the peripheries of both the end-plate and the vane.

2. A cutting head 'for a long-wall coal-cutting machine, the head comprising a journal to be applied to `and driven by the usual shaft of such machine projecting perpendicularly to the wall to be worked, a circular endplate secured to the journal and terminating the operative length of the head, two helical vanes also secured to the journal and starting at the end-plate, each vane being of the same diameter as the end-plate and having a pitch length substantially equal to the length of the head, and pick-mountings carried at closely spaced intervals round the peripheries of both the end-plate and the vanes.

3. A cutting head for a long-wall coal-cutting machine, the head comprising a journal to be applied to and driven by the usual shaft of such machine projecting perpendicularly to the wall to be worked, a circular endplate secured to the journal and terminating the operative length of the head, a helical vane also secured to the journal and starting at the end-plate, the vane being of the same diameter as the end-plate and having a pitch length substantially equal to the length of the head, and pick-mountings carried at closely spaced intervals round the peripheries of both the end-plate and the vane, and adjoining mounting-carrying peripheral portions of the end-plate and the vane being removably attached to the rest of the end-plate and the vane, and united to each other as a section removable from the head with the corresponding pick-mountings.

4. A cutting head for a long-wall coal-cutting machine, the head comprising a journal to be applied to and driven by the usual shaft of such machine projecting perpendicularly to the wall to be worked, a circular endplate secured to the journal and terminating the operative length of the head, a helical vane also secured to the journal and starting at the end-plate, the vane being of the saine diameter as the end-plate and having a pitch length substantially equal to the length of the head, and pick-mountings carried at closely spaced intervals round the peripheries of both the end-plate and the vane, and adjoining mounting-carrying peripheral portions of the endplate and the vane being removably attached to the rest of the end-plate and the vane and a base plate uniting these portions as `a section removable from the head with the corresponding pick-mountings, with transverse slots in the base plate, and transverse T-ribs on the rest of the end-plate and vane to engage the slots, together with a hole in the base-plate and a spring-plunger on the section for engagement with the hole to secure the section in position.

5. A cutting head for a long-wall coal-cutting machine, the head comprising a cylindrical journal part and a truncated cone journal part secured co-axially to the cylindrical part, the whole to be applied to 'and driven by the usual shaft of such machine projecting perpendicularly .to the wall to be worked, a circular end-plate secured to the base end of the truncated cone part and terminating the operative length of the head, and a twopart helical vane starting at and of the same diameter as the end-plate, one part of the vane being secured to the truncated cone part and the other to the cylindrical part and the two vane parts together having a pitch length substantially equal .to the length of the head, and pickmountings carried at closely spaced intervals round the peripheries of both the end-plate `and the vane.

6. A cutting head for a long-wall coal-cutting machine, the head comprising a journal to be applied to and driven by the usual shaft of such machine projecting perpendicularly to the wall to be worked, a circular endplate secured to the journal and terminating the operative length of the head, a helical vane also secured to the journal and starting at .the end-plate, the vane being of the same diameter as the end-plate and having a pitch length substantially equal to the length of the head, pickmountings carried at closely spaced intervals round the peripheries of both the end-plate and the vane, and a throwing blade extending radially from the journal and axially from the Vane near the end of the vane remote Afrom the end-plate.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A CUTTING HEAD FOR A LONG-WALL COAL-CUTTING MACHINE, THE HEAD COMPRISING A JOURNAL TO BE APPLIED TO AND DRIVEN BY THE USUAL SHAFT OF SUCH MACHINE PROJECTING PERPENDICULARLY TO THE WALL TO BE WORKED, A CIRCULAR ENDPLATE SECURED TO THE JOURNAL AND TERMINATING THE OPERATIVE LENGTH OF THE HEAD, A HELICAL VANE ALSO SECURED TO THE JOURNAL AND STARTING AT THE END-PLATE, THE VANE BEING OF THE SAME DIAMETER AS THE END-PLATE AND HAVING A PITCH LENGTH SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF THE HEAD, AND PICK-MOUNTINGS CARRIED AT CLOSELY SPACED INTERVALS ROUND THE PERIPHERIES OF BOTH THE END-PLATE AND THE VANE. 